Clothes horse: Duchess of Cambridge pips The Queen to the post in race to win "best dressed royal"

Clothes horse: Duchess of Cambridge pips The Queen to the post in race to win 'best dressed royal'

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UPDATED:

16:31 GMT, 3 May 2012

The Duchess of Cambridge has topped a poll of best-dressed royals for her understated “Best of British” style.

In the year since her wedding to Prince William, fans have flocked to buy replicas of Kate’s dresses.High street stores and hair dye companies also saw an increase of up to 30% in sales from women hoping to emulate her brunette locks.

Praised for her demure style, which mixes designer fashion and high street clothing, the Duchess came first in a survey of more than 1,000 women achieving a third (33%) of the vote.

All three British manufacturers enjoyed a boost in sales after she was pictured wearing their clothing and accessories.

Pipped to the post: the Queen was #2

#3 Recently wed Zara Phillips

The Queen came second in the poll with 21% of votes cast. She is well-known for her tasteful two-piece suits and extravagant headwear, and for her love of brooches and pearls.

Her granddaughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, were left languishing at the bottom of the table after a year of fashion clangers, including Beatrice’s ill-judged fascinator at the royal wedding. They polled 5% and 2% respectively.

Zara Phillips came third with 14% of the vote. The Olympic-standard equestrienne favours a more relaxed, sporty look, and is often pictured with rugby star husband Mike Tindall in his and hers rugby shirts.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was fourth with 11%, and the Duchess of Cornwall tied fifth with the Princess Royal, with both scoring 7% of the vote.

#4 Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Joint 5th place: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

A spokesman from DottyBingo.com on which the survey was conducted, said: 'It is no surprise that Kate has achieved the top spot of the UK’s most fashionable royal, as for the last year she has hardly left the media spotlight.

'She is a real trend-setter, as she only has to be seen wearing something once for it to be an immediate hit on the high street. What’s more, because of the Duchess’ fantastic shape, clothes fit her perfectly.

Joint 5th place: Princess Royal, Princess Anne

Bringing up the rear: Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie

'Nevertheless, Kate would have had competition for the top spot if we had let people vote for her sister Pippa. However, due to the fact she is not a royal, we decided to keep her off the list.

'As we mark the one year anniversary of Kate and Wills’ wedding, it seems that the images of that day still influence how we view the style of our royals. For instance, we all remember the beauty of Kate’s dress and the fashion abomination which was Princess Beatrice’s hat.

'The Queen, on the other hand, has a timeless sense of style which continues to make her stand out among the other female royals.

'This just goes to show that traditional understated British elegance is winning through against some of the younger female royals.'